Charles Oliveira graciously accepts that Donald Cerrone 'kicked his a**' during their fight in 2011
Brazil's Charles Oliveira put in an outstanding performance earlier this year, knocking out Michael Chandler to secure the UFC lightweight title. The win was Oliveira's ninth consecutive victory.
But Charles Oliveira was not always the dominant UFC champion he is today. In 2010, he made his promotional debut with a 12-fight undefeated record. He initially went 2-1-1, before being matched up with WEC veteran Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone.
Cerrone held nothing back against the young submission specialist, knocking him out in the first round. It was Oliveira's first time being knocked out in a professional fight and was no doubt a shock to the system for him. This was of course a long time ago and Oliveira is now a completely different fighter.
However, he was recently reminded of his first KO loss by a Twitter post commemorating the date of Cerrone's victory.
But he seems to be more than over it. When a fan commentated that it was an early stoppage, Oliveira was quick to correct them, stating:
"No. He kicked my a**"
Charles Oliveira continued his interactions with fans on the post, also replying to a comment that suggested he may have had too much wine the night before the fight, similar to Paulo Costa. His response went as follows:
"LOL. I don't drink! I just faced a better than me fighter that nite"
What's next for Charles Oliveira
With Charles Oliveira's championship-winning performance against Michael Chandler now several months in the past, he now must turn his attention to who his first title defense will be against.
Dustin Poirier would be the obvious choice. 'The Diamond' is coming off back-to-back victories over Conor McGregor and previously defeated top contenders Justin Gaethje and the ever-dangerous Dan Hooker.
However, Poirier has hinted that he may be interested in a money fight with Nate Diaz next.
Should Poirier go down the Diaz route, it would become a more complicated decision. Top-ranked fighters Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler are set to face off against each other at UFC 268, so the winner of that matchup may be an option.
Rising contender Islam Makhachev has a fight booked against former champion Rafael dos Anjos, which could also produce a potential challenger. The only other option would bethird-rankedd Beneil Dariush, who is currently not booked.